If you don’t know the name Gutiérrez was responsible for writing and directing the sci-fi thriller Before The Fall (Tres Días), which examined how one family tried to survive the end of the world (and all the hell that rains down on them).

Though Gutiérrez’s resume may be short (he has directed two short films, Before The Fall is his only feature), the director made enough of an impression to at least warrant him a shot at The Crow reboot. Gutiérrez is also a rising star, with multiple films on his slate of in-development projects, including House of Horror, a film he is making under Insidiousdirector and Sawcreator James Wan’s new deal with Icon entertainment.

So while Gutiérrez may not be a name you know now, he’s likely to be a name you know in the next few years. Directing The Crow would certainly be a way for him to gain major exposure, quickly.

While I’m all for a good Spanish showdown, I can’t say that I’ve got a real dog in this fight. 28 Weeks Later was an okay movie; that opening chase sequence in particular was awesome and thrilling enough to have inspired its own parodies. So Fresnadillo certainly has the true grit (see what I did there?) to make The Crow the visceral experience that fans of the original comic book character would surely appreciate.

I hadn’t seen Before The Fall…er, before I did some research for this post; it too seems pretty disturbing and gritty – a good match for material like The Crow.